Hillsdale’s freshman class matched last year’s admission statistics with a preliminary acceptance rate of 20% and yield rate of 62%.
The yield rate, one of the highest in the country according to Senior Director of Admissions Zachary Miller, is the percentage of admitted students who choose to attend Hillsdale.
The 375 students who make up the class of 2027 come from 43 states and 10 countries. Though the class size is smaller than last year’s freshman class of 404 students, it is within the range the admissions department aimed for, Miller said.
“There is a high interest in students wanting to attend Hillsdale College,” Miller said. “I think we do stand out from a lot of colleges across the country for the type of education that we give and the principles that we stand for. The yield rate has gone up significantly in the past five years. And so I think those reasons are attracting more and more students.”
Now ranked in the top 100 most competitive colleges in the nation, according to the National Center for Education Statistics, Hillsdale maintained high admissions standards this year with an average GPA of 3.95 and ACT score of 32 among freshmen.
Admission to Hillsdale is about more than scores, Miller said. The college wants students who have pushed themselves in academics, but there are several other factors.
“We also want students who are going to be contributing members of the campus community, who are going to be involved leaders and serve the community,” Miller said. “We want them to be active and engaged. And then third, we want students who are conscientious citizens, who understand the Honor Code, and who will choose to abide by it and add to the culture that’s already been created by that, creating a really strong ethos for the place.”
The admissions department makes an effort to get to know each applicant and understand their fit for the college through the admissions interview, Miller said.
“I would say one of the things that we really think is important is getting to meet the students that apply,” Miller said. “The interview is an important part of the evaluation process when we have that available.”
Freshman Evelyn Freedman said the application process for Hillsdale felt much more personal than applying to other schools and gave her the chance to get to know her admissions counselor and the campus culture.
“The interview really felt like chatting with somebody who had similar interests,” Freedman said. “I really felt like she had my best interests in mind.”
Freedman said after visiting campus, she realized Hillsdale would offer her the challenge she wanted through her classes, peers, and professors.
“Ultimately, I came here because I think I will be humbled here,” Freedman said.
Freshman Lillian Ferrell said she was attracted to Hillsdale because of the variety of programs and opportunities it offered.
“I felt like I didn’t have to compromise on anything that I love doing and wanted in my college education,” Ferrell said. “I wanted to be able to study music while doing journalism and English and still pursuing possibly a track or career path in law. Hillsdale was able to perfectly combine those all at once and also provide opportunities that I didn’t know existed.”
Though Hillsdale was not her first choice, Ferrell said she made the decision to attend after meeting Hillsdale students and professors on a statesmanship weekend in Washington D.C. in February.
“I fell in love with the student body and what the school stood for when I really interacted one on one with them,” Ferrell said. “I feel like I learned a lot about myself throughout the admissions process and what matters to me in a school.”
